Tasty recipes from chef Ronit Penso's kitchen

Asparagus, King Oyster Mushrooms and Goat cheese Tart

The combination of asparagus and mushrooms is one of my favorites. Their flavors and textures seem to work so well together. I like to sauté them together and mix with cooked pasta, grated Parmesan cheese and good olive oil, or serve with polenta.
But when I saw these wonderful King Oyster mushrooms at the store, I thought it would be a shame to just chop them, so I’ve decided to use their unique shape with whole asparagus in this tart, which is very quick and easy to assemble and is just perfect for brunch.

As is the case with most dishes that contain a few ingredients and do not rely on cooking expertise, the result depends heavily on the quality of the ingredients.
Make sure to start with good quality puff pastry (preferably homemade with butter (also available online), or at the very least one that is made with non hydrogenated oil), add to it fresh Asparagus, mushrooms and goat cheese, and your dish will be a hit.

1. Preheat the oven to 420F (215C).
2. Cut the mushrooms in half, lengthwise. Cut each half, lengthwise, into 2-3 sections. Heat 1 Tbs of the olive oil in a pan on medium heat, and add the cut mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and fry gently on all sides for 1-2 minutes. Take off the heat and bring to room temperature.
3. Cut off about 1” (2.5cm) of the asparagus ends and place in a large pan, in one layer. Add the water and sprinkle with salt. Cover the pan and bring to a boil on high heat. Lower the heat to medium and let steam for 1-2 minutes, until the asparagus is bright green, tender but still firm. Place on paper towels and bring to room temperature.
4. Line a 12”x8” (20cm x 30cm) baking pan with the rolled dough, pressing the edges of the dough to the sides of the pan, to create a rim. Prick the dough all over with a fork.
5. Layer the Swiss cheese slices over the dough and add the asparagus and the mushrooms. Crumble the goat cheese on top. Scatter the red jalapeno, drizzle 1 Tbs olive oil and sprinkle with a bit more salt and pepper.
6. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the dough is puffed and golden, starting in the lower part of the oven for the first 10 minutes and finishing in the upper part of the oven.
7. Take out of the oven and let rest in the pan for 2-3 minutes, before carefully transferring to a large cutting board. Portion with a large, sharp knife, drizzle the remaining 1 Tbs olive oil on top and serve.

Looks fantastic! I’ve never noticed king oyster mushrooms in the store before – I’ll have to seek them out. I imagine the two cheeses you used really make this flavorful. The asparagus farm up the road from should be opening in the next month or so…therefore, I’m bookmarking this recipe to save for the farm fresh spears. Delicious offering!

Thank you Nancy!
The good thing about this tart is you can use other cheeses or mushrooms. The King Oyster mushrooms are not always available, but they are really worth looking for, as the stem has a very unique texture and flavor that resembles scallops. If you can’t get them, than you can use cleaned large Portabela caps cut lengthwise. And fresh asparagus from the farm will definitely add so much more flavor! Hope you’ll make the tart and enjoy it. 🙂

Now this is what serious food cooked by a professional chef looks like. Fabulous, Chef Ronit! I know my family would love this, including my mushroom-aversed son. Err…maybe he would pick off the mushrooms. Speaking of which, I’ve seen these mushrooms before but have never tried them. All stalks and very little caps. Do you find the stalks to be tender? Not like shiitake?

This looks great Ronit! And good to learn about King Oyster mushrooms – I was not familiar with them until now 🙂 And I have never tried asparagus with mushrooms either. That needs to be rectified now. 🙂

Thank you Indu!
The Oyster King mushrooms are also quite a late discovery for me too – they are not as available as other types of mushrooms. But their special flavor and texture are worth looking for.
I hope you’ll find them and enjoy the results. 🙂

This is s wonderful creation, Ronit! I agree with you that mushrooms and asparagus compliment each other so well, though I’ve not seen king oyster mushrooms around here. Coincidentally, I was in a grocery today looking at their mushrooms on display. This time of year, more varieties become available. I’ll be sure too look for them.

Thank you John, I’m glad you liked the idea. 🙂
These mushrooms have become a favorite of mine, and I guess I’m not the only one, as I’ve already seen them in quite a few places. I hope you’ll be able to find them and see if you like them or not. 🙂